| I recommend checking out Goal Line Blitz, an American Football MMORPG where you can create and manage players and teams. It is new and still in development, but fun and has great potential. You can just manage one player with a few minutes everyone other day, or you can get very involved and manage multiple teams. (Posted May 2008) |
Copyright © 2006 by Scott Crawford,
Card Bowl reproduces the game of football (American) using a standard deck of playing cards (54-card deck — 52 cards and two jokers), plus a penny or similar item to represent the ball.
The game balances strategy and chance, and almost anything that happens in a real football game can happen in Card Bowl, including blocks, runs, passes, sacks, fakes, fumbles, interceptions, punts, field goals, penalties, etc.
Play is based on NFL football rules, which are not explained in these rules. An assumption is made that players understands NFL rules, and will use the card game rules in this framework. Consult the NFL rules to resolve game play questions.
The game tries to replicate real football plays. Though the rules may seem complex at first, this is because the game of football is complex. The game follows a basic pattern, though, and the rules make sense in terms of the rules of football, replicating real plays and allowing many different aspects of the game to manifest.
Download CardBowl Rules Version 1.1.6 (PDF)
Release date February 15, 2007
(Change History)
See an illustration of Example Plays with a series of diagrams (PDF).
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Cards representing different values are simply drawn in a certain order, and modifiers applied to determine results (e.g. spot where kickoff is received and yardage returned).
Each player is dealt eleven cards representing players, and spreads them out on the table in formation, face down. The cards are then moved and turned over in a generally specified manner and order, in alternating turns, which represents the development of the play. In addition, at certain points of action, cards are turned over from the remaining deck, which represent the element of chance and the unanticipated dynamics of the game.
The scrimmage play evolves around match-ups between offensive and defensive cards, with the values and modifiers determining the outcome. Multiple cards on each side plus drawn cards may be involved in one match-up.
At some point during one of its turns, the offensive player executes a play (e.g. hands off the ball, throws a pass). Cards from each hand that are directly involved in the play are then added along with drawn cards, and the offensive and defensive values are compared to determine the outcome.
Once you become familiar with the rules of the game, the scrimmage plays can actually replicate the flow and dynamics of a real play.
The game does require a lot of addition, so being able to add quickly is also helpful.
Colored text is used to indicate certain parts of the rules (strategy tips and correspondence with real football) so printing them out on a color printer is recommended.
New players should skim through the rules at the beginning in order to get the gist of the game play, and then begin to play and refer to the relevant sections as needed. (At some point I hope to make web page version with hyperlinks between the different sections.)
The scrimmage aspects of the game may be hard to understand just from reading it without seeing it played, and so I put together some basic diagrams to illustrate some examples.
I am not a hardcore football statistician, so I have tried to make the rules more or less reflect reasonable possibilities based on my sense of the game, but without getting even more complex to try to make the game strictly statistically accurate.
This game is currently a work in progress with limited testing, so I'm looking for players who can test the game and provide feedback for improvement.
Is the game too complex, or parts hard to understand, or is there some inconsistency?
Do you have suggestions to simplify it or clarify it, or make it more reflective of real game play, statistically or otherwise?
And most importantly: Is it fun?
Let me know:
This game is like shareware. I'm giving it away freely, and you are free to play it and share it, but you may not charge for it or otherwise make money off of it in any way.
If you like the game and would like to reward the work I have put into it and/or support my continued development of it, you can make a donation via PayPal.
And if you have an idea for how to turn this into a commercial venture, I am open to proposals, although in creating the game it was not my intention to do so. I intentionally wanted the game to use a standard card deck so it can be enjoyed by anyone, without any special cards or game pieces. It has been a labor of love for me as someone who enjoys football and enjoys creating games.